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Hard Work

I am one busy lady who is currently working two full time jobs.

My day job consists of cleaning the house, paying the bills, doing the laundry, planning the meals,  cooking the meals, shopping for the necessities (and an occasional not-so-necessity), counting box tops, serving in the church, getting the kids to and from school, serving on a neighborhood pool committee, visiting the elderly, and manicuring the yard.  I have an assistant who gets to shadow my every move.  He is not so much interested in what I have to do each day but rather his own schedule.  He has decided his job is to climb on counters, press buttons on printers, sneak out the doggie door, dump well organized buckets of toys, jump on beds, pull chairs around to reach the high stuff, remove cushions from couches, smudge up mirrors, and search for treasures in every drawer.  My day job is a little tougher with my apprentice but he is my most important responsibility.


At around 3:00 my evening job kicks in.  It is every bit as demanding as my day job and sometimes quite frazzling.  This is when I do homework, sign planners, help the kids with chores, prepare dinner, answer the phone, help with Eagle projects and gear up to drive circles getting the boys where they need to go.  This is what my evening schedule looks like this week:

Monday
5:45-7:30  Baseball Practice-Stockton

Tuesday
4:30-5:30  Basketball Practice-Douglas
5:30-6:30  Basketball Practice-Stockton
7:00-9:00  Baseball Practice-Douglas
7:00-8:00  Pack Meeting-Stockton


Wednesday
7:30-9:00  Baseball Practice-Stockton
                  (Jordan High School Gym)


Thursday
3:30         Piano lessons-Stockton
5:30-6:30     Basketball Practice-Douglas
7:00            Young Mens-Douglas
7:00-9:00  Baseball Practice-Douglas


Friday
7:30-9:30  Baseball Practice-Stockton
                  (Jordan High School Gym)


Saturday
11:00-12:00  Jr. Jazz Game-Stockton
11:00-2:00   Baby Shower-Mom
3:00-4:00    Jr. Jazz Game-Douglas
6:00-8:00    Kick-Off the Season with the  Horns baseball organization-motivational speaker-Dad, Douglas, Stockton

The hours are long.  They often start before 7:00 a.m. and go past 10:00 p.m.  Graveyard hours are required at times as well.  Even when my baby is tucked into bed I have to wait up for my teenager. Weekends are a must, no days off.  I have no sick time available to me.  Vacations are planned in advance:  February-St. George baseball tournament (Stockton), March-Arizona spring training tournament (Douglas), March-St. George tournament (Stockton and Douglas), April-Mesquite tournament (Stockton), July-Steamboat Springs, CO tournament (Stockton).  There may be a Las Vegas one somewhere in there too.  That one is not quite decided.  Breaks range from 1 1/2-3 hours per day.  It is never the same and is often spent catching up on many things that still need to be done.

The pay is good.  I receive hugs and gratitude from everyone in the family and I get to watch my boys learn and grow and be a part of everything they do.  I have great job security too.  No one has asked me to resign or offered to take over.

While many women have no choice but to work outside the home I am grateful that I do not.  Russell has provided well for us and Heavenly Father has blessed us so I can be the primary caretaker of our boys.  It is a job I am grateful for and one that I would not want to give up.   So, when the days feel long and the nights even longer, I will remember how blessed I am to be a MOM...the greatest career choice I ever made.

Comments

wylie said…
What a great post! It was a boost to read it this morning--thank you! I noticed quite a few overlapping items in your schedule this week, you will be working your magic to be two or more places at once. The compensation you listed for your day and night time jobs are priceless and so true. I would NOT trade my all-time job as a mother either. Nor would I trade the kids I have! Our time with them is so short, yet so full.
Kim said…
There is no job harder than a MOM.
There is no job with less recognition than a MOM.
There is no job with more satisfaction and greater reward than a MOM! Kudos to you and all MOMS!
Kimberly said…
And NOBODY does it better.
M.E. said…
Great Blog! It sounds like Mason and Ethan could be business partners!
free font said…
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Aimee said…
Just wait until Mason needs to be run all over town, have his planner signed, homework done, cub scouts, etc. etc. Your day job will get easier, but your evening job will be CRAZY!!

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